As the NHL All-Star weekend wrapped up in Nashville, many were already looking forward to the next big event in Music City, whatever that may be.
Nashville has become an “it” city, and with its popularity, more hotels were being built to support the tourism industry, which has hosted events like the All-Star Game.
“It’s been a blast, we had a lot of fun,” Jon Paulson of Minnesota said on Sunday. “We’re having a good time.”
Paulson had never been to Nashville prior to the All-Star weekend, but he had heard how much the city has been growing.
“They’re [Nashville] primed and ready for stuff like this. It’s awesome down here,” Paulson said.
While tourists have continued to visit Nashville and big events have continued to draw crowds, Nashville continued to build new hotels.
At least three hotels have been under construction or in the planning stages within a block of Bridgestone Arena.
“It’s pretty amazing to see the growth down here,” Sean Craft of Clarksville said, adding that the construction of more hotels may be a good thing. “A lot of people might think that the hotels are not necessary, but they are necessary, because the more people that come, you need more hotels.”
Others haven’t been convinced Nashville necessarily needs more hotels, but Tadd Jennings of Clarksville said he believes the more hotels that are built, the better it is for the consumer.
“The more competition, the better,” Jennings explained. “That means better prices all the way around for everyone else.”
With more accommodations and more attractions in Nashville, many have been hoping this growth will help bring more events to Nashville like the NHL All-Star Game.
“Get the Super Bowl one day, that would be awesome,” Jennings said.
President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Butch Spyridon, provided the following statement on the hotel boom in Nashville to NewsChannel 5:
“The city’s ongoing and strong demand has fueled the potential for continued hotel development. We certainly don’t need all of the new rooms that have been announced, but, until enough development becomes reality, announcements will continue. We need some additional supply of the right quality and right location, but we also have to be mindful of overbuilding and the consequences that follow. There is no surprise in the ongoing announcements as we have been one of the top performing markets in the country for four consecutive years.”
